Day 1.
Up early to catch up a taxi to the Tsukiji Fish Markets. ~3000 yen, so not cheap but not unreasonable.
I got there before 4am, and although the tour didn't start until 5:20am, there was still a decent queue already.
After putting on yellow fluoro vests we were directed into the main tuna auctions.
The frozen tuna ready for auction.
The buyers doing alot of poking & prodding and close inspection it with a torch
.
Looks like he is happy with this one
.
There are two (free) tours most mornings, with each tour limited to ~75 people which quickly fill up.
Discussing the days catch
.
One of the auctions underway.
The tour lasted ~25 minutes, after which we are escorted out of the inner markets.
Organising the days orders.
Morning cigarette on a skewer
.
Ready with the bandsaw to cut up the frozen tuna.
After the end of the tour, I went for a walk through Ginza.
Not many people or cars about at ~6am
.
Kabuki-za in Ginza, the principal theater in Tokyo for traditional Kabuki theater. I would later come back on day 3 to watch a performance.
Traffic on the roads through Ginza.
Conductor on one of the JR lines.
After going back to my hotel for breakfast and a quick nap, I headed down to Tokyo Station to get my Shinkansen tickets to Kyoto on day 4. 21,000 yen for the Japanican deal for return un-reserved Shinkansen tickets and a day pass for buses/metro in Kyoto, and was quite a good bargain.
Heading underground.
The famous crossing in Shibuya, as seen in films such as '
Lost in Translation', and '
Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'.
Out shopping in Shibuya.
Graffiti.
I then walked up to
Meiji Shrine, where there was a traditional Japanese wedding procression.
Group photo
.
Barrels of sake. The shrine is situated in a 175 acre forest.
I then walked to Takeshita-dori, a pedestrian-only street lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants in Harajuku.
A great place to watch all the latest Japanese fashions
.
The Mods.
Fluorescent
.
In Black.
Blonde.
I then caught the metro to Sumida to see the Tokyo Skytree.
The weather wasn't ideal, but still had some great views of the city below.
I then caught the JR train back to Suidobashi.
Bookshop.
Dinner of pork & noodles after a great first day in Tokyo
.
